Process for manufacture of stocking heel pouches

ABSTRACT

A process for manufacture of stocking heel pouches includes the use of a circular knitting machine cylinder with a row of needles and a row of sub-needles overlying one another, and butts and control cams which are arranged in arcs which are staggered with respect to one another. The extent of the arcs can be varied. A group of stitch courses in one direction is reversed in the next group of courses.

United States Patent Luchi 1 Mar. 21, 1972 541 PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURE OF 2,932,959 4/1960 Getaz ..66/48 STOCKING HEEL POUCHES 2,939,303 6/1960 Coile et al. ..66l48 2,974,506 3/1961 Lawson ..66/51 [72] lnventor: Vinicio Luchi, V1a G.F. Mar1t1 102, 3,246,486 4/1966 Janda et a] X Flrenze, Italy 3,292,392 12/1966 Squillario et a1.... .....66/48 2 d: Dec. 24 lmboden Ct .....66/48 [2 1 2,440,280 4/1948 Lawson ..66/48 [21] Appl. No.: 786,598

Primary Examiner-Wm. Carter Reynolds [30] Foreign Applicafinn Priority Data Attorney-Waters, Roditi, Schwartz & Nissen Dec. 29, 1967 Italy ..4863/67 [57] ABSTRACT A process for manufacture of stocking heel pouches includes (g1 "66/336 the use of a circular knitting machine cylinder with a row of needles and a row of submeedles overlying one another and [58] Field of Search ..66/48, 51, 47, 43, 3-9, 187 butts and control cams which are arranged in arcs which are l 56] References Cited staggered with respect to one another The extent of the arcs can be varied. A group of stitch courses in one direction is n- STATES PATENTS reversed in the next group of courses.

2,576,962 12/1951 McDonough ..66/48 X 3 Claims, 15 Drawlng Figures 1'3 3| 1 V 1 1? zh (d a I 39 37 35 776%, I .12 2/4; v a

PATENTEU MAR 21 I972 SHEET 2 OF 7 PAIENTEnr-mzl I972 SHFET 7 BF 7 Fig. 15

PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURE OF STOCKING HEEL POUCHES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a process for the formation of a pouch in a tubular knit fabric (such as a stocking heel or the like) working with at least two yarn feeds, and with an alternating motion of the needle cylinder of the circular knitting machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided a process for forming a pouch in a tubular knit fabric on a circular knitting machine capable of alternating motion of the needle cylinder, comprising the steps of providing at least two yarn feeds, supplying one said feed to a first arc of needles of the needle cylinder, supplying the other said feed to a second arc of the needles of the needle cylinder, said second are overlying said first arc over an intermediate zone of the pouch, knitting a group of courses of stitches according to a predetermined yarn sequence, and knitting an immediately following group of courses of stitches according to the reversed sequence of said yarns.

The overall working zone, affected by at least one of the arcs of the working needles butts, may be varied by insertion or disengagement respectively of needles at the ends of needle arcs, in such a manner as to laterally taper the pouch fabric.

Further according to the present invention there is provided a circular knitting machine for knitting pouches in knit fabric comprising at least two yarn feed means, a needle cylinder having longitudinal grooves therein and including needles, sub-needles, control cams, needle-raising control butts on each sub-needle disposed in the working zone of the pouch, said butts being arranged in rows equal in number to the number of yarn feed means, and arranged in partially staggered arcs substantially symmetrically with respect to an intermediate zone in which the butts of all rows of butts are present, said cam means acting on the butts to raise the needles, means to render the needles inoperative by lifting the needles externally of the working zone of the machine, and means to modify the working amplitude of the working zone of the machine including an exclusion device and an inclusion device effective on end needles of the arcs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagram of the cam shell for a needle with a subneedle and jack of a four-feed circular knitting machine with two feeds operating in the forming of a heel pouch of a stocking;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of needle control butts for the forming of a heel pouch in a tubular fabric and in combination with the latter, a diagram of the stitch path in the pouch;

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the operational mode of the cams of FIG. 1 during the motion in opposite directions of the needle cylinder respectively;

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the shaping of fabric in the pouch zone respectively in a diagrammatic arrangement and in an illustration similar to the actual shape;

FIG. 7 illustrates, in enlarged scale, the arrangement of the stitches in the heel pouch during formation;

FIGS. 8, 9, l0 and 11 illustrate similarly to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 an arrangement for a six-feed machine with pouch working by means of three feeds;

FIGS. 12, 13, 14 and 15 illustrate similarly to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 an arrangement for an eight-feed machine with pouch working by means of four feeds.

With initial reference to FIGS. 1 to 7 of the cam shell surrounding the needle cylinder, only the cams, which are required for the following description, are defined. The needle lowering cams or knock-over cams 1, 3, 5, 7 are provided for the forming of a new stitch and the release of a former stitch. The rotational direction of the needle cylinder for the formation of the tubular fabric is indicated by the arrow f in FIG. 1,

the cams 1, 3, 5, 7 being preceded by lifting cams 9, 11, 13, 15. The carns l, 3....13, 15 act on the butts 17A of sub-needles 17 engaged with the associated needles 19 and cooperating with jacks 21 provided with selection butts 21A. The sub-needles 17 have two additional rows of butts 17B and 17C.

Provision is additionally made in the cam shell for latch cams 23, 25, 27, 29 cooperating with the cams 1, 3, 5, 7 to cause the lowering of the needles which have picked up the yarn and which have to knit during the forming of the tubular fabric with a continuous motion. The cams 23, 25, 27, 29 cause the initial lowering of the butts 17A, which butts are subsequently fully lowered by the cams 1 to 7. A cam 31 acts on the long butts 17A to exclude the corresponding needles from the work by raising, the raised needles retaining the stitches last formed thereby. A cam 33 acts on the long butts 17A to re-insert the corresponding needles into work by lowering thereof. The cams 31, 33 operate with the cylinder motion in the direction of arrow f,. The long butts 17A are located over an are 7 which is complementary with respect to an arc B (B 360 -'y) which corresponds to the needle zone where the pouch is made; therefore the short butts 17A are lower in the arc B and the cams 31 and 33, also when inserted, do not act thereon. In the diagram of FIG. 2, the butts 17A are assumed to be selected in the sense that the butts 17A, of the needle are )3 are in a low position to be kept in working, while the butts 17A- are raised into a position, out of the working position.

The butts 17B extend over a portion of the working are ,8 and are spaced from one end thereof. The butts 17C extend over another portion of the working arc B, and are spaced from the other end thereof. While the butts 17A operate with the cams 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31 and 33, the butts 17B and 17C cooperate with pairs of cams 35, 37 and 39, 41 respectively. The operation of cams 35, 37, 39, and 41 is well known, as, for example, shown in Italian Pat. No. 655,21 1 and hence the conventional cam operation will not be described herein in order not to obscure the invention.

Conventional selection cams which can act to form tuck stitches or pattern stitches on the row of butts 21A, are not shown; the butts being present or absent in the rows according to the pattern.

Pickers 43, 45 or other movable members serve to raise the butts 17A so as to render the corresponding needles inoperative. The pickers 43, 45, which work during the needle cylinder alternate motion cooperate in a lower position with the cams 1 and 5, but when they are raised,,they cooperate with the cam end profiles of a profiled member 47, over which the end butts 17A pass when raised to exclude the corresponding needles from the work. An additional lowering picker or other movable member of pairs of butts 17A serves for the engagement of the corresponding needles 19. The lowering picker 49 cooperates with the lower profile of a profiled member 51 and can be lowered to reinstate the needle operation. The picker 49 can cooperate with earns 53 and 55, to which it may present the partly lowered butts 17A so that these butts are additionally lowered to the working level.

FIGS. 1, and 7 show the start of a pouch formation, which is produced by the feed of yarn AP and AB. The last courses R R of annular stitches are for the fonning of a portion of knit fabric prior to the start of the pouch formation. Two immediately subsequent courses of stitches R R formed by two yarns must remain in operation for the forming of the pouch. When the pouch is started, the cams 23, 25, 27, 29 are rendered inoperative, the cam 31 is temporarily inserted to make the needles of the butts 17A; inactive, (see also FIGS. 3, 4) of the arc B and to keep the butts 17A of the arc working. The course R R is formed by the action of the cams 37, 41 (see FIG. 4) which are inserted and act on the butts 17B and 17C respectively; the cams 37, 41 substantially accomplish the function of the cams 25 and 27, forming the stitch under the cams 3 and 5 only by the needles of the are 7. When the rotational direction is reversed from the one of the arrow f to that of the arrow f;,, the cams 37 and 41 are excluded and the cams 35 and 39 are included (see FIG. 3).

Under these conditions, the butts 17B and 17C are lowered to form the stitch with the corresponding needles, whose butts 17A are set to pass under the knocking-over cams 1 and 3. Thus the immediately subsequent courses R and R, are fonned, the course R being adjacent the course R, and the course R being partly adjacent the course R and partly adjacent the course R,,. With a fresh reversal, the arrangement reverts to that of FIG. 4 and the courses R and R are formed. The course R lies adjacent the course R and the course R lies partly adjacent the course R and partly adjacent the course R With a fresh reversal, a course R and a course R are formed, the course R, being partly adjacent to the course R and partly adjacent to the course R the latter being adjacent the course R The arrangement provides that for each revolution or each group of revolutions, end needles of the arc of working B are excluded from operation in order to obtain a progressive reduction of the working arc, this being effected by the action of the pickers 43, 45. In a subsequent period of time, the progressive increase of the needle arc B in operation by the cooperation of the pickers 43, 45, 49 is effected. In the diagram of FIGS. 2, 5 and 6, X indicates the reduction zones of the needle arc in operation and Y denotes the increase zones of the working arcs, said zones being obviously in the knitting, joined with one another to set up in the pouch fabric lines X-Y, as shown in FIG. 6. After the formation of the knit fabric with an alternate motion and with two feeds to form the pouch, the four yarn feeds are resumed to knit continuous stitch courses such as those indicated by RM, RN in FIGS. 5 and 6.

In the central zone, the pouch stitch courses are double those in the outer zones.

It is to be noted, as is evident in the diagram of the lower section of FIG. 2, that the working arc B is divided into three zones, [3, central and fl B lateral. In the central zone [3,, the number of stitch courses is double that in the outer zones 3,, B In these zones 13,, [3 the stitch courses have symmetrical increases and reductions. The central are 5, corresponds to the zone wherein the butts 17B and 17C are simultaneously located in the sub-needles 19, while the zones 5, and B correspond to the arcs whereinonly butts 178 or 17C are located, the butts of the outer ends of said arcs being excluded and reinserted in operation.

It is to be noted that at the left-hand end of the arc of butts 17B and at the right hand end of the arc of butts 17C (FIG. 2),

1 there is provided a shorter end butt than the others; correspondingly the earns 35, 37, 39, 41 upon becoming operative at the start are inserted only partly so as not to act on said single lower butt and afterwards inserted fully. In this way a stepping of the stitches of the contiguous courses of stitches such as R R, or R R, and so on, is obtained, as shown by the sloped outer ends of the courses joinedin the diagram of FIG. 2 at the ends, the inner ends of subsequent courses being aligned. In other words, each of the courses'at the aforesaid end terminates with a stitch knitted by a needle which is excluded at the start of the subsequent and reversed course.

The double arrows of the diagram of FIG. 5 indicate that the corresponding points defined by the ends thereof are actually connected with one another as longitudinally contiguous stitches, as is seen in FIG. 6. I

FIGS. 8 to 11 illustrate an embodiment wherein provision is made for six feeds or supplies corresponding to six lowering cams 61, 63, 65, 67, 69, 71, coo erating'with corresponding raising cams (similar to cams 9, 11, 13 of the previously described embodiment) and with lowering cams similar to cams 23, 25, 27, 29 hereinbefore described. In this second em bodiment, there are provided pairs of lowering earns 73, ,75; 77, 79; 81, 83; arranged at three different levels to cooperate with butts 85B, 85C, 85D of a sub-needle 85 engaged to each needle 87 and provided with a first but 85A cooperating with the raising and lowering cams 61, 63, 65, 67, 69, 71. The pairs of lowering cams 73, 75; 77, 79; 81, 83act on groups of butts 85B, 85C, 85D which are staggered. In particular, the ends 858 85C on the left-hand side looking at FIG. 9 and the ends 85C 85D on the right-hand side looking at FIG. 9 of the .rows of respective butts are staggered. The right-hand ends 858,, and the left-hand ends B; of the rows of butts 85B and 85D respectively are modified by means of the insertion and disengagement of needles into and from work at the ends of the variable working are indicated by 8 in FIGS. 9 to 11. The insertion and disengagement are obtained with a picker arrangement similar to the one hereinbefore described with reference to the first embodiment.

As seen in particular in FIG. 9, the arrangement of FIGS. 8 to 11 allows the forming of a heel pouch by means of three feeds or supplies AF, AF,,, AF, and with the aid of the cams 73, 85, 77, 79, 81, 83. 15 courses of stitches are formed along the are L,, while along the adjacent and symmetrical arcs L, l 1 courses of stitches are formed and along the symmetrical arcs L only 7 courses of stitches are formed. The arcs L, are narrowed by the variation of the ends 855,, and 85D, while the outer ends of the arcs L and the end of the arc L are kept constant for the constancy of the end butts in the ends 85C,, and 85C and in the ends 85D and 85B respectively. After the reduction of the working arc 'y, the latter may always be widened with the picker arrangement. Thus during each stroke of reciprocationof the needle cylinder the yarn of feeds AFS and AF7 are fed to and knit by different arcs of needles to form overlapping part courses. The yarn of feed AF6 is fed to and knit by an arc of needles to form a part course which includes in coursewise extent the overlap of the first two part courses (L1). The ends of the part courses formed at feed AF 6 are walewise aligned and define a middle zone of the pouch. With reference to FIG. 9, each part course formed at feed AF5 or AF7 extends over a substantial portion of the middle zone. The outer ends of the part courses knit at feeds AF5 and AF7 are narrowed for a number of strokes of reciprocation to provide an edge at each side of the pouch. Subsequently the outer ends of these part courses are widened for a number of strokes of reciprocation to continue each pouch edge. Each edge is in effect joined to itself as widening occurs to provide the usual suture. The ends of the part courses knit at AF5 and AF7 which appear within the middle zone are walewise aligned on each side of the zone.

FIGS. 12 to 15 are operational diagrams relating to a machine including eight yarn feeds and thus eight fall cams corresponding to the four feeds AF AF AF AF, provided for forming of a heel pouch with the cooperation of lowering cams 91, 92, and 97, cooperating with butts respectively 99B, 99C, 99D, and 99E of a sub-needle 99 also provided with butts 99A and coupled with the corresponding needle 101. The operation is similar to that of the previous embodiments as provision is made for insertion into the working position during the heel forming of the needles of an are E, which is variable for the insertion and disengagement of the needles by means of the so-called picker arrangement. The butts 99B, 99C, 99D, 99E are arranged in offset groups with respect to one another, the right-hand ends 99B of the butts 998 in operation and the left-hand ends 99E, of the series of the workingbutts 99E, being variable. I

As in the hereinbefore described embodiments, a central arc M of the pouch may have, for example, 20courses of stitches, while two arcsM- have 15 courses of stitches, the adjacent arcs M 10 coursesand the arcs M only 5 courses of stitches. The end arcs M, have a variable amplitude. I

In all the embodiments and especially in the embodiments with several feeds in operation during the alternate motion, provision can be made for arranging the cams such as those denoted by 35, 37, 39, 41 or 91, 93, 95, 97, projecting in a progressively reduced manner-upwardsand towards the needle cylinder, and to have the butts such as 17B, 17C, or 99B, 99C, 99D, 99E progressively higher upwardly and towards the needle cylinder-.Inthisway, the butts of lower courses do not interfere with the cams arranged for the butts of upper cour- -ses.

.l.-A circular knitting machine for knitting pouches in knit fabric comprising at least two yarn feed means,

a needle cylinder having longitudinal grooves therein and including needles,

sub-needles engaged to said needles, control cams, needle-raising control butts on each sub-needle disposed in the working zone of the pouch, said butts being arranged in rows equal in number to the number of yarn feed means, and arranged in partially staggered arcs substantially symmetrically with respect to an intermediate zone in which the butts of all rows of butts are present, said cams acting on the butts to raise the needles, means to render the needles inoperative by lifting the needles externally of the working zone of the machine, and means to modify the working amplitude of the working zone of the machine including an exclusion device and an inclusion device effective on end needles of the arcs. 2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein said exclusion device includes a row of butts some of which are long butts effective to exclude initially needles along an are from the work, said butts also serving to restrict the working zone, and picker members capable of excluding and including the needles of the needle cylinder. 3. A process of forming a pouch with an edge at each side in a tubular knit fabric on a circular knitting machine having at least three feeds and having a circle of needles mounted in a needle cylinder capable of reciprocatory motion, comprising the steps of, feeding and knitting a first yarn from a first feed on a first arc of needles during a first stroke of reciprocation to form a first part course, feeding and knitting a second yarn from a second feed on a second arc of needles during said first stroke of reciprocation to form a second part course, feeding and knitting a third yarn from a third feed on a third are of needles during said first stroke of reciprocation to form a third part course, the first and second ends of the said second part course defining a middle zone of said pouch, said middle zone being spaced inwardly of both pouch edges, said first part course extending from one end within the middle zone over a substantial portion of said middle zone to the other end at one edge of said pouch, said third part course extending from one end within the middle zone over a substantial portion of said middle zone to the other end at the other edge of said pouch, repeating the above steps a plurality of times while narrowing the length of either the first or third part course at each stroke, subsequently repeating the above steps a plurality of times while widening the length of either the first or third part course at each stroke, maintaining all one ends of first part courses in walewise alignment during said step repeats, maintaining all one ends of third part courses in walewise alignment during said step repeats, and maintaining all first ends of said second part courses in walewise alignment and all second ends of second part courses in walewise alignment during said step repeats. 

1. A circular knitting machine for knitting pouches in knit fabric comprising at least two yarn feed means, a needle cylinder having longitudinal grooves therein and including needles, sub-needles engaged to said needles, control cams, needle-raising control butts on each sub-needle disposed in the working zone of the pouch, said butts being arranged in rows equal in number to the number of yarn feed means, and arranged in partially staggered arcs substantially symmetrically with respect to an intermediate zone in which the butts of all rows of butts are present, said cams acting on the butts to raise the needles, means to render the needles inoperative by lifting the needles externally of the working zone of the machine, and means to modify the working amplitude of the working zone of the machine including an exclusion device and an inclusion device effective on end needles of the arcs.
 2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein said exclusion device includes a row of butts some of which are long butts effective to exclude initially needles along an arc from the work, said butts also serving to restrict the working zone, and picker members capable of excluding and including the needles of the needle cylinder.
 3. A process of forming a pouch with an edge at each side in a tubular knit fabric on a circular knitting machine having at least three feeds and having a circle of needles mounted in a needle cylinder capable of reciprocatory motion, comprising the steps of, feeding and knitting a first yarn from a first feed on a first arc of needles during a first stroke of reciprocation to form a first part course, feeding and knitting a second yarn from a second feed on a second arc of needles during said first stroke of reciprocation to form a second part course, feeding and knitting a third yarn from a third feed on a third arc of needles during said first stroke of reciprocation to form a third part course, the first and second ends of the said second part course defining a middle zone of said pouch, said middle zone being spaced inwardly of both pouch edges, said first part course extending from one end within the middle zone over a substantial portion of said middle zone to the other end at one edge of said pouch, said third part course extending from one end within the middle zone over a substantial portion of said middle zone to the other end at the other edge of said pouch, repeating the above steps a plurality of times while narrowing the length of either the first or third part course at each stroke, subsequently repeating the above steps a plurality of times while widening the length of either the first or third part course at each stroke, maintaining all one ends of first part courses in walewise alignment during said step repeats, maintaining all one ends of third part courses in walewise alignment during said step repeats, and maintaining all first ends of said second part courses in walewise alignment and all second ends of second part courses in walewise alignment during said step repeats. 